PWA Mens wave top three: Victor Fernandez, Ricardo Campello, Philip Koster

In the hope of the conditions improving on the final day of competition head judge, Duncan Coombs scoured the island for the very last time, but the flat-calm seas and gentle breezes were in no way sufficient for the 2010 wave world title showdown. With little sign of either the wind or swell improving, the organisers decided to let the sailors relax for the entire day by calling off the competition at 09:00.

Cabo Verde Results

Having only completed five man-on-man heats throughout the week, the PWA’s finest leave Cabo Verde with no result.

Final 2010 Men’s Wave Rankings

Without a result in Cabo Verde the world rankings remain the same as they were just nine days earlier, leaving 2010 Pozo champion, Victor Fernandez (Fanatic, North, MFC) to walk away with the 2010 PWA wave world title.

Victor Fernandez: PWA Wave world champion 2010

Talking about his victory Fernandez said: “I’m super, super happy. I’ve put in a lot of work since my debut on the PWA World Tour, and a tremendous amount this year. It hasn’t really sunk in properly yet because of the long week we’ve had. I was expecting to come here and compete, so it’s been a bit disappointing that we haven’t. But, that’s the good thing about leading the rankings from the beginning of the year – you never know if an event will happen, so you have to make the most of it right from the start, which is exactly what I did, so I deserve to win.

I’m going to continue to train hard throughout the winter, whilst also filming our new movie, Second Life. I’m hoping to travel to some new places and perhaps return here on a good forecast to improve my wave riding. For the next few weeks I’m just going to head home though and celebrate with my family and friends, then I’ll be back next year to defend my title!”

In second place, and possibly the luckiest man alive right now after his shock exit from the single elimination here on Saturday, is three times former freestyle world champion, Ricardo Campello (JP, NeilPryde, MFC).

Campello commented: “I’m really happy to have held onto my second place, if we’d have finished even just the first round, I probably would have lost it. Before the event I felt that I could challenge for the number one spot, but the conditions didn’t allow that. My goal this year was to finish in the top three, which I’ve achieved.

Now I’m going to head home and relax in Margarita for a bit – I’ve been away from there for a very long time. After that, I’ll probably come back here to Sal on a good forecast to film for the Second Life movie. I think my second place ranking this year will give me the motivation I need to train harder and go for the world title next year. The level is really high at the moment with lots of sailors capable of winning, but I’m going to give it my best shot!”

Claiming the final podium position is the 2009 Pozo wave champion and teenage sensation, Philip Koster (Starboard, NeilPryde, Dakine). His incredible jumping has wowed the world on many occasions making him without doubt one of the sailors to watch out for in the future.

Koster said of his 3rd place finish: “I just can’t believe it, it’s a dream come true. I’m really, really happy, especially after my bad luck last year in Sylt which put me down to 28th. I’m going to train as hard as I can this winter to improve my starboard tack jumping and waveriding, so hopefully next year I’ll be a more rounded sailor.”

Official 2010 Wave Rankings

1st Victor Fernandez (Fanatic, North, MFC)

2nd Ricardo Campello (JP, NeilPryde, MFC)

3rd Philip Koster (Starboard, NeilPryde, Dakine)

4th Kauli Seadi (JP, NeilPryde, MFC)

5th Dany Bruch (Patrik, Severne, MFC, AL360)

6th Robby Swift (JP, NeilPryde)

7th = Klaas Voget (Fanatic, Simmer, MFC)

7th = Alex Mussolini (Tabou, Gaastra)

9th Jonas Ceballos (Mistral, Simmer)

10th Dario Ojeda (Tabou, Simmer, Dakine, MFC)

Video Footage

Watch what’s been going on at the Cabo Verde World Cup by tuning into either PWA TV or www.caboverdeworldcup.com.

Keep In The Groove

For more information on all the entrants, and to keep up to date with every piece of the action click on www.pwaworldtour.com.

PWA: We look ahead to the most hotly anticipated event of the year, and back at the action that has shaped this contest into the legend it has become. Check out what some of the front runners have to say about the event and check out the insane action from previous years.

More information at www.pwaworldtour.com

2010 Slalom Podium: Karin Jaggi, Valerie Arrighetti and Sarah-Quita Offringa

Day Four

A gusty vent d’est teased a few of the women out onto the beautiful Mediterranean waters today, but failed to increase to a sufficient level for official competition to resume leaving the results unchanged.

With a promising outlook the world’s fastest fleet of female windsurfers were at the beach early preparing their gear for a day of tough racing. However, the wind refused to play ball, forcing the fleet to endure another lengthy period on hold, at times sitting in their wetsuits ready to hit the water at a moment’s notice.

Race director, Juan Antonio Aragon and his team made every effort to get the elite racers out on the water with a course set as soon as the flags showed any sign of wind in them, but it was just too gusty to allow for fair racing, and therefore had to be cancelled early in the evening.

Tomorrow is certain to be a historical day on this world-class beach with Valerie Arrighetti (Tabou, Loft, Mystic) just 24 hours away from claiming her second event crown for the year at the first ever all-women’s PWA event. And, Karin Jaggi (Patrik, Severne) only a day away from taking home the 2010 world title which she’s already secured.

Valerie Arrighetti

Day Five

Valerie Arrighetti claims the final event trophy of the year at the first ever all-women’s event in Almanarre, but it’s Karin Jaggi who takes home the 2010 world title on a perfect day on the Mediterranean coast.

Wall to wall sunshine and strong winds paved the way for champagne sailing on the final day of the women’s slalom season in Almanarre, allowing for the maximum number of eliminations to be raced in glamorous conditions.

The first few heats began in fairly light winds, but the rest were sailed like a white-knuckle ride, with plenty of crashes and hell raising top speeds. Races four, five, and six were the usual split fleet affair, with the top five from the first two heats going on to fight it out in the final. Race seven however was something special, which required a slightly different set of skills, to end the 2010 tour in spectacular style.

Arrighetti Holds All The Aces

The 2009 world champion, Valerie Arrighetti (Tabou, Loft, Mystic) began the day in the perfect way to keep her immaculate event record showing a fistful of firsts. However, her nearest rival and current tour leader, Karin Jaggi (Patrik, Severne) kept piling on the pressure finishing just behind her to remain in contention. In third Lise Vidal (Exocet, North) showed off her skills to walk away with her best result of the week.

The Young Guns Steal The Show

The second sensational slalom saw Arrighetti go over early in her first faux pas of the event, clearing the way for Jaggi to take the advantage. However, a handful of youngsters led by the rising French star, Alice Arutkin (Starboard, North) – who hadn’t scored a bullet since Korea – stopped the legend in her tracks forcing her to settle for fourth. Following in Arutkin’s wake was the 2010 freestyle world champion, Sarah-Quita Offringa (Starboard, Gaastra), and transatlantic hopeful Sarah Hebert (Naish, Naish) who both held off advances from the former world champion to finish in second and third respectively.

Alice Arutkin

Jaggi Reaffirms Her Dominance

In the third race of the day, Jaggi pulled out all the stops, and with Arrighetti back in the winner’s final battle, stamped her authority on the entire fleet. The Swiss national was obviously enjoying the stronger winds, gritting her teeth and closing the slot to claim a convincing victory. Olivia Piana (Exocet, Loft) also found her form, fighting her way to an impressive second place, whilst local hero Fanny Aubet (JP, NeilPryde) crossed the line just behind. Arrighetti may have only finished fifth in this race, but with her almost perfect previous scores she’d done enough to secure the final crown of the season.

A Final Full Fleet Showdown

Despite both the event crown and the title having already been determined, the all women’s finale finished in fine style with a full fleet battle featuring the fastest females on the planet. Race director, Juan Antonio Aragon and his team set a huge first leg, forcing the racers to attack the course from a different angle. Speed and endurance proved key to success, as did the ability to keep the board on the water in the rough conditions. The start was spectacular with seventeen sailors pushing as hard as they could, but it didn’t take long for the current tour leader to edge ahead and take the lead. Full of confidence from her previous win, Jaggi held her position ahead of Hebert and Piana to finish the season on a high at the front of the fleet.

Results

1st Valerie Arrighetti (Tabou, Loft, Mystic)

2nd Karin Jaggi (Patrik, Severne)

3rd Alice Arutkin (Starboard, North)

4th Sarah Hebert (Naish, Naish)

5th Lise Vidal (Exocet, North)

2010 Overall Rankings

After four events around the globe, Karin Jaggi and Valerie Arrighetti finished the season on equal points forcing the tie break rules to come into effect. With two firsts a piece it came down to which sailor had the highest number of the next best thing. Jaggi had two seconds whereas Arrighetti had only a second and a ‘did not compete’ (Korea), making Jaggi the clear champion for 2010.

1st Karin Jaggi (Patrik, Severne)

2nd Valerie Arrighetti (Tabou, Loft, Mystic)

3rd Sarah-Quita Offringa (Starboard, Gaastra)

4th Alice Arutkin (Starboard, North)

5th Sarah Hebert (Naish, Naish)

Karin Jaggi

Champion Sound

Karin Jaggi

“I’m absolutely stoked that I’ve won the world title this year, especially with it being on my new Patrik boards. It’s great for us to have won a world title in the brand’s first year. It was really close with Valerie, and in the end it came down to the discard, and the event that she missed. But, I think that’s all part of racing – you have to be prepared to go to all of the events, and give it 100% at every possible opportunity.

I’ve had a great time at this all-women’s final this week, despite starting it off with an illness. The strong winds made today really enjoyable, and the last race in particular was amazing with the very long first leg. I think it’s been an excellent end to a spectacular year on the women’s slalom tour, and this has been the best event by far! It was a little bit unfortunate that it clashed with a few other events around the world, so not everyone could join in, but I hope we can have the same event on the calendar next year, and that everyone will come.

I intend to continue racing on the tour in 2011, so you’ll see me back defending this world title. I’m going to be working on a few extra boards with Patrik Diethelm, so I should have a better set up. And, I’m sure my Severne sails will continue to evolve over the winter, so they should be even better too.”

Live GPS Tracking

The women were tracked around the racecourse by My Geo Live all week. Check out all seven eliminations HERE if you missed them.

Keep in the groove

For more information on all the entrants, and to keep up to date with every piece of the action, click on www.pwaworldtour.com

Here you can use our:

• Live ticker service for heat-by-heat bulletins

• Check live elimination ladders

• View results

• Read daily news summaries

• Browse awesome action photo galleries

Or for more information, please contact the PWA office via info@pwaworldtour.com

PWA/Paul Griffiths

With glorious blue skies and a light offshore breeze, sunbathing and swimming were the main activities in Almanarre today. A slight fluttering of the flags late in the afternoon caused the sailors to leap into action, but it wasn’t long before they resumed their positions, and lay in hope for racing another day.

Karin Jaggi

After an entire day spent on standby, we took the opportunity to talk to long standing PWA racer and current tour leader, Karin Jaggi (Patrik, Severne) about the world famous destination of Almanarre. Having entered her first ever world cup here, returning to this beach brings back many special memories…

PWA: Tell us about your history with Almanarre.

KJ: “Well, my time at this beach goes back a lot further than my first ever world cup event, I actually learnt to windsurf properly around here. At first it was mostly on the other side of the bay, but I did come over here to Almanarre quite a lot too. And, by then it was already a world-renowned location with a history of hosting international events to the superstars of the sport such as Robby Naish (Naish, Naish), Anders Bringdal (Mistral), and Bjorn Dunkerbeck (Starboard, Severne, Mystic).”

PWA: When did you first enter an event here?

KJ: “1994.”

PWA: Wow, that’s almost two decades ago! Who was the local hero back then?

KJ: “Oh, it had to be Eric Thieme for sure. He was more famous for indoor events though than anything else.”

PWA: He was the French lunatic that used to wear the leopard print suits whilst racing in Bercy right?

KJ: “Yeah that was him! He actually has a windsurfing centre right here on the beach now.”

PWA: Has Almanarre always been about the racing?

KJ: “In competition, yes. We used to do course racing and slalom, but now it’s just slalom.”

PWA: What does Almanarre have to offer?

KJ: “First of all it’s a great spot to windsurf because the conditions vary so much, so you’ll never get bored. It can be light and offshore one day, to strong and cross-shore the next which also makes it a great place to train. It’s really close to Marseille as well, which is a fun city to visit, and the coastline here is beautiful. There are heaps of people that windsurf around here too, so there are always plenty of like minded people who love to watch the world cup when it’s in town.”

PWA: If someone came to visit during the season what sort of wind can they expect?

KJ: “There are two main winds, the Mistral which – if it is forecast – is almost guaranteed to be strong, and great for sailors who enjoy windsurfing in winds above force 4. The other wind comes from the East which can be strong too, but it’s not as reliable as the Mistral.”

PWA: Which do you prefer?

KJ: “For general sailing they can both be really good, especially if you have a car because you can drive to the other side of the peninsula, so you can always get clean onshore winds. Also, it doesn’t really matter which discipline you sail here, it can be great for speed, waves, and slalom. Plus it’s good for all ability levels.”

PWA: How would you rate Almanarre as a destination for a holiday?

KJ: “Within Europe it’s definitely one of my favourites because it’s easy to access by car so you can go on a good forecast from almost anywhere. The sailing is world-class, and it’s still not too expensive to stay directly on the beach because there are so many campsites, and small hotels. I’d recommend it to almost everyone apart from those in search of perfect waves. It’s a great destination for families too.”

PWA: Thanks for your time Karin, and lets hope the ‘vent de est’ or the Mistral return soon, so the locals can watch some more high-octane racing!

View over the French coast

Results After 3 Races

1st Valerie Arrighetti (Tabou, Loft, Mystic)

2nd Karin Jaggi (Patrik, Severne)

3rd Alice Arutkin (Starboard, North)

4th Lise Vidal (Exocet, North)

5th Fanny Aubet (JP, NeilPryde)

6th Sarah Hebert (Naish, Naish)

7th Delphine Cousin (Fanatic, North)

8th Sarah-Quita Offringa (Starboard, Gaastra)

9th Ophelle Joly (Fanatic, North)

10th Marion Mortefon

Eye On The Horizon

The forecast looks hopeful with a good ‘vent d’est’ forecast for tomorrow, and a return of the mistral on Wednesday.

Live GPS Tracking

On day one the women were tracked throughout the afternoon. Check out the racing by following this link HERE.

Keep in the groove

For more information on all the entrants, and to keep up to date with every piece of the action, click on www.pwaworldtour.com

Here you can use our:

• Live ticker service for heat-by-heat bulletins

• Check live elimination ladders

• View results

• Read daily news summaries

• Browse awesome action photo galleries

Or for more information, please contact the PWA office via info@pwaworldtour.com

PWA/Paul Griffiths

Valerie Arrighetti

It was all smiles at registration as the sun beamed down on a beautiful day over the glorious cote d’azur creating an extremely relaxed vibe to the morning. This didn’t last for long though as bang on schedule the wind filled in making way for the fast and furious females to hit the water at two o’clock and lock into some fierce competition.

A four buoy downwind slalom course was set by race director, Juan Antonio Aragon and his team allowing three full races to be completed by the twenty women that had turned up to battle it out for glory in Almanarre.

The wind varied between 8 and 15 knots throughout the afternoon which made equipment selection critical to performance. Some sailors opted for 8.3s to be safe at the gybes, whilst others stuck to their 7.8s hoping they could either pump their way back onto the plane as they rounded each mark, or that a lucky gust would help them carry their speed.

Arrighetti Annihilates The Competition

The 2009 women’s slalom world champion, Valerie Arrighetti (Tabou, Loft, Mystic) stamped her authority on the elite group of racers that had gathered in Almanarre for the final stop of the 2010 women’s world tour today. The French local was almost unstoppable as she flew off the start line in final after final, without ever needing to look back. She built a strong lead from the very start of every race, to score three consecutive firsts in convincing style. Despite four days of the competition remaining, it’ll be hard for anyone to topple the 2009 champ from the top if she continues to sail with such dominance.

A Fighting Chance

Although Arrighetti claimed victory in every race today, the current tour leader and former world champion, Karin Jaggi (Patrik, Severne) scored a consistent set of results that saw her into second place for now. A second and two thirds is an awesome score line by anyone’s standards, but Jaggi seemed slightly disappointed with her performance, and was perhaps held back by not having a large enough sail. Stuck on her 7.8 whilst others were on 8.3s had her fighting hard from the start, and hoping for stronger winds. It just goes to show how critical kit selection is when these world-class racers register their gear at the beginning of the season.

Also fighting hard for an end of year podium position is the young French star, Alice Arutkin (Starboard, North). She began her assault with an explosive set of seconds from the first two races today, and a sixth in the third, which sees her just two points behind Jaggi overall. If Alice continues to sail with such speed and consistency as her first two races she could well be a challenger for that final spot on the podium.

Stand Out Performance

Following a disappointing start to the event with a premature start in race one Italian racer, Greta Benvenuti left any negative thoughts back on the beach and hit the water to race hard once again, and a second in the loser’s final of race two clearly lifted her spirits. So much so that she shot out of the blocks in her first heat of race three to finish clear of the pack just moments behind Arrighetti, and then claimed a fifth in a star studded winner’s final. A good result for Benvenuti here would consolidate her position as a top ten rider, and could even lift her up a place or two in the rankings.

Sarah-Quita Offringa

Final Few Words

Valerie Arrighetti:

“It feels amazing to be in the lead after the first day of racing. I used a 7.6 for the first elimination which worked well, but I felt I needed a bigger sail for the next race because the wind was a bit light in places. I took my 8.3 and had amazing speed for both race two and three with my medium board which is a 102L Tabou Manta. I was also using some new Gasoil fins today, which are much softer than those that I normally use but they were great. I really want to win here in Almanarre because it has a special place in my heart – it’s not my home spot, but it is where I won my first world cup event in 1996, and so I have great memories of this place. It’s a bit annoying for me that I can’t claim the title even if I win here due to the tie break rules, which I think need to be changed, but I won’t let that get me down now. Hopefully we’ll get plenty of wind and lots more racing this week.”

Karin Jaggi:

“I’ve had a bit of a rough start to this competition with some sickness yesterday, and a bit this morning, but when I got out on the water I was actually okay. The wind was fairly light out there today especially in the gybes, but I think it was fair racing – I was on my biggest gear which is a 110L board, and a 7.8. I’m not too disappointed about being in second right now, but hopefully we’ll get plenty of wind to allow for more racing. The forecast looks promising for strong winds from both directions. I’d like it if we got some really hardcore races in because we haven’t had any of those this season.”

DAY 2 – Gentle winds halt the proceedings on day two of the women’s slalom final leaving the sailors to bask in the glorious Mediterranean sunshine on the beautiful beach of Almanarre.

Patience proves key in world cup windsurfing, and today was a fine example, with a light offshore breeze simply teasing the competitors and therefore forcing them to endure an entire day on standby.

What Women Want

Whilst the sailors were on standby, we took the opportunity to find out what the world’s most elite female race force think of women’s only events.

Verena Fauster (Patrik, Gaastra) – ITA 31

“It’s really special having a women’s only event, and I think it should happen more often because it focuses everyone’s attention directly on us. It’s also very nice for all the girls to be together having fun. I do however think that if the event had been confirmed earlier in the season there would’ve been a better turn out, but there’s always next year!”

Marion Mortefon – FRA 141

“This is a great event, and such a good concept because it allows the women to take the limelight for once.”

Delphine Cousin (Fanatic, North) – FRA 775

“Having a PWA event with just the girls is an excellent idea because we can get much more racing in which is the real reason we’re here. We wouldn’t have had anywhere near the same amount of racing yesterday if the guys had been here too.”

Greta Marchegger (JP, Gaastra) – ITA 193

“It’s really cool that there’s an event which is solely for the girls because there are loads of women in the PWA, and in windsurfing itself, so we need to promote the fact that it’s not just a sport for men.”

Greta Benvenuti – ITA 38

“It’s so much better for the women to have events like this because we can get more time on the water competing.”

Sarah Hebert (Naish, Naish) – ARM 1

“It’s an excellent idea, and will definitely help to promote windsurfing to more women because the media is fully focussed on females for once.”

Julie Berthou – FRA 451

“I’m really happy to be here at the PWA event purely for women because it shows all of the spectators that females can windsurf too!”

Lindsay Berruyer – FRA 260

“I think it’s great having events like this because those sailors lower down the ranks don’t feel as intimidated as when the guys are around. It’s amazing that girls like me can race on the same course as the world champion!”

Sarah-Quita Offringa (Starboard, Gaastra) – ARU 91

“Whatssss Up! I’ve been super excited about this all-women’s event for a long time now. It’s really cool to have all of the attention on us, usually we’re a bit overshadowed by the men. I’m not sure why, we’re so much sexier than them!!!”

Karin Jaggi (Patrik, Severne) – SUI 14

“I think it’s really important to have women only events because the focus is clearly on us, and it gives the spectators the chance to see how high the level actually is in the female fleet. It’s definitely advantageous for us because usually we have to compete for coverage with the men, which makes it much more difficult. It’s also great for the younger girls coming in to the sport because it’s far less intimidating.”

Olivia Piani (Exocet, Loft) – FRA 51

“It’s great for the girls here because we can do so much more racing than we would otherwise do, and everyone gets to see how good we all are!”

Marion Raisi – Women’s Event Manager

“I think this event is really important for the women because it’s the only week that focuses totally on the girls – the guys have plenty of events on their own, so why not the women too! It’s also important for the media outside of the industry because at a mixed event they’re bound to focus on the men because their sailing looks more impressive, whereas the press is forced to show off the girls here. If we are to grow the sport of windsurfing this is crucial.”

Lise Vidal (Exocet, North) – FRA 19

“We can do so much more racing when we’re on our own, but I think the best solution would be to have a mixed event with the same amount of time dedicated to women’s competition as the men’s.”

Fanny Aubet (JP, NeilPryde) – FRA 809

“It’s much better for promoting the sport to females, and will surely motivate more to join in.”

Ophelie Joly (Fanatic, North) – FRA 64

“I think it’s a great idea having an event with just the girls because it promotes the women’s side of windsurfing.”

Morane Demont (Starboard, North) – FRA 59

“This is a great concept that Marion has come up with and it’s turning out to be an amazing event that will help promote women’s windsurfing. I do still enjoy the mixed events too, but it’d be nice to have one event every year like this.”

Valerie Arrighetti (Tabou, Loft, Mystic) – FRA 444

“This is absolutely unique – it’s the only event of it’s kind. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like it in my whole career! What a wonderful idea.”

Marianne Kaplas (Starboard, Severne) – FIN 134

“This is only my second competition, but I’m definitely enjoying it more because we are getting on the water racing whenever the conditions allow, and don’t have to wait on land watching the men!”

Alice Arutkin

Alice Arutkin (Starboard, North) – FRA 111

“Women’s only events are an excellent idea because we get to go on the water for the whole day instead of sitting on the beach. As well as getting much more racing in, we also have so much more time which enables the fleet to be split in every single race and allows the newer girls a chance to learn more, and perhaps even win a heat or two!”

Emilie Lallement – FRA 494

“I’m only 15 years old, so this event is a really good opportunity for me to race against girls of a much higher level. It’s cool having the guys around, but I think this way we get more racing in.”

Estelle Barre – FRA 675

“This is my first ever PWA event so I’m not sure whether it’s better to have the guys and girls together, but it’s very well organised, and great to be racing against the top level sailors.”

Results After 3 Races

With no racing the event standings remain the same as last night, with Arrighetti out in front, and Jaggi, and Arutkin close behind.

1st Valerie Arrighetti (Tabou, Loft, Mystic)

2nd Karin Jaggi (Patrik, Severne)

3rd Alice Arutkin (Starboard, North)

4th Lise Vidal (Exocet, North)

5th Fanny Aubet (JP, NeilPryde)

6th Sarah Hebert (Naish, Naish)

7th Delphine Cousin (Fanatic, North)

8th Sarah-Quita Offringa (Starboard, Gaastra)

9th Ophelle Joly (Fanatic, North)

10th Marion Mortefon

The women's slalom fleet

Eye On The Horizon

The forecast for tomorrow isn’t looking too promising at the moment, but a good ‘vent d’est’ is forecast for Tuesday which should ensure some more fast and furious slalom racing. This could however all change in an instant though, so there’s still every possibility that we’ll see some more racing before tomorrow’s out.

Live GPS Tracking

Yesterday the women were tracked throughout the afternoon. Check out the racing, including the top speeds they achieved, by following this link HERE.

Keep in the groove

For more information on all the entrants, and to keep up to date with every piece of the action, click on www.pwaworldtour.com

Here you can use our:

• Live ticker service for heat-by-heat bulletins

• Check live elimination ladders

• View results

• Read daily news summaries

• Browse awesome action photo galleries

Or for more information, please contact the PWA office via info@pwaworldtour.com

Karin Jaggi

The PWA’s fastest females will be battling round the buoys off the south coast of France from the 4th through to the 8th of September. And, with a €15,000 prize purse up for grabs, and one last chance to improve those all important overall rankings, there’s bound to be some world-class racing from the toughest female fleet on the planet.

Located equidistance between Marseille and Cannes, the town of Hyeres lies on the beautiful Cote d’Azur where the beach of Almanarre meets the Mediterranean Sea. The huge stretch of sand runs for approximately four kilometres, and has a history of hosting top-notch windsurfing events including those of the PWA, who last visited in 2004.

Conditions found at this world famous windsurfing beach can range dramatically during September, with anything from a howling ‘Mistral’ to a gusty ‘vent d’est’ meaning the competitors will have to be ready for all types of slalom action from light 9.0 weather right down to white knuckle ride 5.0 racing.

The Players

Former slalom world champion, Karin Jaggi (Patrik, Severne) has sailed consistently enough throughout the year to almost guarantee that she’ll take home the overall world title from Almanarre – all she has to do is turn up and register! Her two event wins at the start of the year put her in a commanding position, and her second in Alacati basically sealed the deal. Having not finished lower than second all season, she’ll certainly be one to watch here in Almanarre, and will surely want to finish the season on a high by claiming victory.

Fighting hard with Jaggi will be the 2009 world champion, Valerie Arrighetti (Tabou, Loft, Mystic). Despite missing the first event of the year in Korea due to personal problems, she’s fought her way back throughout the rest of the season. Currently she’s lying in tenth overall, but as soon as a discard kicks in she’ll shoot up the rankings and potentially onto the podium. A top three result for her this week would see her into second overall for the year. However, after claiming the crown in Turkey, she’ll no doubt be looking to race her way into first with a repeat performance in front of her home crowds here in France.

Also battling hard for an overall podium finish will be 2010 freestyle world champion, Sarah-Quita Offringa (Starboard, Gaastra), French rising star, Alice Arutkin (Starboard, North), and transatlantic hopeful, Sarah Hebert (Naish, Naish). Going into the final event Offringa has the upper hand, with both Arutkin and Hebert needing to score a second here in Almanarre to equal the freestylers already impressive score sheet.

With two thirds of the fleet being of French origin, there will be a whole host of hot local talent racing alongside the tour regulars that could cause an upset at any moment, so be sure to keep a keen eye on the web or the water at all times!

Sarah-Quita Offringa

Keep in the groove

For more information on all the entrants, and to keep up to date with every piece of the action, click on www.pwaworldtour.com

Here you can use our:

• Live ticker service for heat-by-heat bulletins

• Check live elimination ladders

• View results

• Read daily news summaries

• Browse awesome action photo galleries

Or for more information, please contact the PWA office via info@pwaworldtour.com

PWA/Paul Griffiths